Backfire
by DarlingVioletta777
Summary: After Warren shoots Buffy, Willow does a spell to save her, but Buffy still doesn't wake up. Angel and the gang come to save her, but do they get there on time?? *Now completed* B/A all the way!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Backfire  
Rated: Pg-13 for bad language in later chapters. And other stuff I don't want to give away.  
Summary: It starts from the scene where Buffy and Xander make up in Seeing Red. Totally B/A.  
Note: This is the first fanfiction I've put on the internet, so please be nice! Angel season 3 didn't happen. No Connor and definately no icky A/C! Spike left in Seeing Red, in my fan fiction, he's still gone, no mention of him and his lame threats. Atempted-rapist git.  
Feedback: Is Elton John gay? YES!!!!! Please?   
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own 'em. 'Cause if I did, bleugh to C/A. And Buffy and Angel would actually be happy! Ish.   
  
Xander strolled up behind Buffy. She seemed to be poking at the bushes and shrubs with a long stick.  
"Time for the spring poking already?" he said.  
She turned at his voice.  
"Just making sure there are no more evil trio cameras, or Evil Uno." she informed him.  
"The sinister, yet addictive card game?" he asked.  
"Warren," she paused, "Jonathon and Andrew got klinked but, Warren pulled a rocket man. It was a thing."  
"You'll find him," Xander said reassuringly, "he won't be much good with out his friends."  
She gazed at him meaningfully, "No, he won't."  
They both stepped over to the bench and sat down, Buffy facing him.  
"How did we get here?" he asked.  
"Scenic route, long drive." she joked.  
"The last few weeks..."  
"I know."  
He looked down, "I though I'd hit bottom but, it hurt. That you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Spike. It hurt."   
"I'm sorry, I should have told you." she said.  
"Maybe you would have, if I hadn't given you so many reasons to think I'd be an ass about it." he told her,  
"Guess we've all done a lot of things lately we're not proud of." She said.  
"I think I got you beat."  
"Wanna compare?"  
"Not so much." he said   
"I don't what I'd do, without you and Will." Xander said with emotion in his voice.  
Tears filled her eyes "Lets not find out."   
They both lent forward to hug. "I love you. You know that, right?"  
He nods before hearing footsteps, he looked up,  
"Buffy." he said seeing Warren.  
They pulled apart and stood up.  
"You think you could just do that to me?" Warren cried, "You think I'd let you get away with that?" he laughed maniacally. "Think again."  
He lifted a gun up and aimed at Buffy. He pulled the trigger. Buffy threw herself at Xander and he fell to the ground hard.   
There were five gun shots before they stopped. Xander started to get up, dusting himself off. Annoyed he said, "Sweet fancy Moses. Where the hell did he get..."  
He caught sight of Buffy.  
She was lying still on the ground with a shot wound in her chest. It was starting to bleed.  
"Oh God," he said.  
He knelt down by her. "Oh God," he said again, softly.   
"Buffy? Buffy..." he placed his hand on top of the her chest, just above the heart.  
Stop the bleeding echoed through his mind.  
"Buffy?" he cried.  
  
Xander stared down at Buffy's still body. His hand still covering the wound, her blood was seeping through and spreading. The sounds of Warrens gunshots still rang in his ears.  
"Buffy?" he said, trying to stop the blood. She opened her eyes but gazed past him.  
"Oh god, oh god, oh god..." he repeated. He couldn't lose her. Not again, they had only just gotten her back.  
He pulled his cell phone out his pocket and dialed 911.  
"Stay with me..." he begged.  
"Hello, which service do you require?" the operator asked.  
"Ambulance, quick!" he cried down the phone. It went dead as she put him though.  
"My friend, she's been shot." he said as they answered.  
The male operator asked for the address.  
Then, "Is she still breathing?"   
He lowered his hand to the other side of her chest.   
"She's breathing, but she's struggling."  
"Right, the ambulance is on it's way. Put pressure on the wound, a coat or shirt or something."  
He ripped of his yellow shirt, popping the buttons as he did so. He screwed it up and placed in on the wound.  
"Ok, I've done that." He said into the phone.  
"Keep her talking." The operator told him.  
"Stay with me, Buff. Come on...please..."   
His voice broke with a sob.  
Blood was just spreading through the shirt and covering his hand.  
"Say something..." he begged, squeezing her hand. She remained silent. Her eyes started to close.  
"No..." he cried, shaking her.  
"Help!" he screamed.  
He heard the wail of the sirens as the ambulance pulled down the street.  
He let go of Buffy's hand as he leapt up and waved the ambulance over.  
A man and a woman jumped out and ran over. He knelt back down by her.  
"What happened?" the man asked.  
"She got shot!" he cried. *Duh*, he added in his mind.  
The man pulled a needle out of his bag and injected her in the arm.   
"How long ago did it happen?" the woman asked.  
"A few minutes ago, I was with her. I tried to stop the blood." A tear rolled down his cheek.  
"Don't let her die." he pleaded.  
"What's her name?" the woman asked.  
"Buffy, Buffy Summers."  
The man gently shook her arm, "Buffy? Stay with us? You're going to be ok, if you stay with us."  
She was still gazing into space.  
"Come on," Xander said, "For Dawn, Will and me, you gotta stay with us."  
The woman pulled the bed over to her and they lifted her on to it.   
They wheeled her over to the ambulance, putting a drip into her hand.  
The ambulance wailed as they set off again, Xander by her side.  
He sat by her, "Can you hear me?" he asked, "You have to live, for Tara as well, and Anya and God, even Spike! So we can kick his butt together is he is still in Sunnydale."  
The ambulance pulled up outside the hospital and a two nurses, a doctor came running out the doors, pulling a bed along with them. Xander clung to Buffy's hand, trying to keep her awake.   
"Please..." he begged.  
Her eyes fluttered but closed again. A nurse pulled him out the way as they slid her on to the other bed, leaving a trail of blood.  
Her lips parted and she struggled to say something.  
"Xander..." she choked.  
"I'm here Buffy, it's ok."   
Her mouth closed, but he could see blood on her lips, and a drip of it rolled down the side and onto the pillow.  
An oxygen mask was pulled on her, and another injection was given as they rushed her through the double doors.  
"Stay in the waiting room." A nurse commanded.  
"But...I need to be with her." he argued.  
"She needs treatment, without people getting in the way. If you want her to live, keep out the way." The nurse snapped back.  
They pulled her though some more doors and they closed behind her.  
He sank down on a chair, before remembering Dawn would be leaving school soon.  
He stood up and fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone. He had left it in the garden. Silently cursing he rummaged for some loose change. He found a payphone and rang Dawn's school.  
He told them what had happened.  
"Tell to come here, now." He said.  
She hadn't said goodbye to her Mother when she had died. If Buffy died now, it was for real, they had nothing left to bring her back.   
It would be forever.  
  
To be continued..... 


	2. Chapter 2

Don't sue, yadda, yadda, yadda.  
Please leave feedback!!!!!!! Pretty please!!!!  
  
  
Dawn sighed as she looked at the time. Still fifteen minutes to go. *Time slows down when you watch it,* she reminded herself. *A watched pot never boils, or something like that.* She couldn't wait to get out of her boring English lesson, they were reading some dull poetry by someone who had a name she couldn't even pronounce.  
There was a knock at the door and Mrs Hall, the school secretary entered, she was wearing a very grave expression.  
She cleared her throat, "The Principal wishes to speak to Dawn Summers."  
Dawn went red and started to pack her things into her bag.  
The teacher nodded at her before continuing the reading.  
"Someone's in trou-ble." Kirsty, the class bitch sang out.  
Dawn glared at her, and Kirsty smirked, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.  
She walked to the front of the class and followed Mrs Hall outside.  
"Do you know what she wants?" she asked her as they walked towards the office.   
Mrs Hall gave her an uneasy glance, "I'll leave that up to her to tell you." she told her.  
"What's going on? Is it bad? It's bad isn't it?"  
Mrs Hall opened the door to the office, "Dawn Summers for you." she informed her.  
Principle Stevens stood up from behind her desk, she smiled sympathetically, before clearing her throat.  
"Take a seat."  
"No...what going on? Tell me!" she demanded, feeling panicked.  
"It's your Sister. I'm afraid there's been an incident."  
"Is she ok?" Dawn felt something clench her heart, *not again,* she begged, *please don't let it be bad.*   
"Your sister is in hospital-she err...there was an accident...she...got shot."  
"What?...how?" she cried. Her knees gave way and she landing on the seat with a thud.  
"I don't know all the details. I just got a phone call from a...umm...Mr Harris. He said to come straight to the hospital."  
"Is she ok? She's alright though? Who shot her?..." she started to sob.  
"Would you like a lift to the hospital?" Principal Stevens asked awkwardly.   
"Is she going to be ok?" she asked her again.  
"Lets get you to the hospital."   
"IS SHE ALIVE?" Dawn screamed, "TELL ME!"  
"Dawn...that's enough. Its not going to help her is it?"  
Dawn glared at her through her tears, but realised she was right.   
The Principal took her arm and guided her out the office. The bell rang as they got near the English room again.  
The door burst open and everyone came rushing out.  
"Dawn...What's wrong?" her friend Janice asked.  
"That's none of you business Janice" Principal Stevens chided.  
Dawn was pale with tears streaming down her cheeks.  
"Dawn?" Janice said again, following the two towards the door.  
"My sister...she...Oh god..."  
"What happened?" Janice asked.  
"There's been at accident." The Principal told her, hoping to get rid of her.  
"It was Warren! Wasn't it! I'll kill him..." Dawn yelled, much to the confusion of Principal Stevens and Janice.   
She broke free of the heads grip and dashed for the door, she pulled it open and took off towards the hospital.  
  
Xander paced the corridor outside the door they had taken Buffy through. She had been gone for half an hour and no one had come out.  
He heard the sound of running footsteps and Dawn appeared from around the corner.  
"Xander..." she sobbed.  
He took her in his arms and pulled her close.  
"What happened? Is she ok?"  
"We were outside the house. Then Warren came around the corner and said something about her not getting away with it...he pulled out a gun and he shot her, in the chest."  
Dawn's eyes went wide..."Is she alright though?"  
He looked down,   
"She was alive Dawn, but...it's not looking good."  
Her knees gave way again, and she almost fell to the floor, but Xander caught her.  
"She's gonna be ok...she has to be...She's still alive now, or they would have come out of the room..." he said, stroking her hair, trying to comfort her.  
He pulled her to a nearby seat and sat her down.  
He sat next to her and they hugged, crying on each others shoulders.   
  
"Dawn...Dawn? Wake up!" Xander gave her a shake.  
She opened her eyes. "Sorry...tired." She had fallen asleep on Xander's shoulder. She wiped some dribble off his this tee-shirt and sat up.  
"The doctor says we can see her now. But Dawn, she's in a critical condition. You have to be ready for the worst." Xander told her gently.  
She nodded and stood up.  
She knocked softly on the door and entered the room they had taken her in.  
Buffy was asleep, a blanket up to her chin. Machines surrounded her and tubes seemed to be everywhere.  
"Buffy?" Dawn said softly, taking her hand which had a drip in it.  
Dawn gazed down at her older sister, who recently had turned into a surrogate Mother for Dawn. She looked so pale and thin, almost as white as the room she was in.  
"Please wake up." Dawn asked though her tears.  
Xander put his hand on her shoulder in comfort.  
"Is she gonna wake up Xander?" Dawn asked him.  
"I...don't know. Maybe, if we talk to her."  
"We haven't told Willow, or Spike. They should know."  
"Spike. No way." Xander growled.  
"I know you don't like him, but...he should know. I mean they were..." she stopped herself.  
"Yeah, they were. Until he couldn't take no for an answer." Xander spat.  
"What?" Dawn asked, shocked.  
"Nothing, I didn't mean..." he said quickly.  
"Yes you did, what happened? Tell me!" Dawn demanded.  
"He...he tried to force himself on her. She stopped him though. That's the story I got given anyway."  
"He did? Oh, I thought...I thought he loved her." Dawn said genuinely shocked. "What do you mean, that's the story you got given? You think Buffy's lying?"  
"Oh, god no. I meant, well she was pretty bruised when I found her. No...she would have told me if he had actually..." he trailed off.  
"You think he meant to?" Dawn asked, worried that the chipped vampire she called her friend, had done this.  
"He's soulless, Dawn. He doesn't care who gets hurt does he?" Xander said bitterly.  
"When did this happen? Why wasn't I told." Dawn asked, a little hurt.  
"It happened last night. I only knew because I found her in the bathroom. She was crying and had a huge bruise on her leg, like I said. She hasn't told anyone else. Don't be mad at Buffy" he told her.  
"I'm not...I'm mad at Spike. When I see him..."  
"Dawn..." Xander said gently, looking at Buffy. She stirred a little then opened her eyes slowly.  
"Mom?" she whispered.  
"Buffy, it's ok. It me, Dawn. And Xander."  
Her eyes lost a bit of the glassy look and she focused on Dawn.  
"What...happened?" she asked, her voice strained.  
"Don't you remember? Warren, he..." Xander told her but didn't want to actually say it.  
Buffy slowly nodded.  
The nurse came in, "Is she awake? You should have called me."  
"She only just woke up." Dawn snapped.  
The nurse bustled around, checking the machines and drips.  
A doctor strolled through the door.   
He saw Buffy awake and smiled.   
"Hello..." he started flicking through her charts, searching for her name, "...Buffy."  
Xander took Dawn's arm and pulled her out the door.  
"Let them check her over."  
They sat back on the seat.  
"I'm going to find a drinks machine, You want?" Xander asked Dawn.  
"No, I'm fine."  
He nodded and took off down the corridor. There didn't seem to be any in this particular corridor of intensive care, so he made his way down the long, cold corridor of intensive care in search of the machine.  
Sitting outside one room was a familiar redhead.  
"Willow?" he asked softly.  
She looked up.   
"Xander." she breathed.  
He pulled her up into his arms. "What happened?" he asked, seeing the blood stains splatted on her white shirt.  
"Tara. She was standing talking to me and then...she was on the floor with blood everywhere. She was shot." She started to cry again.  
"Is she ok?" he asked.  
"She's in surgery. They told me wait here." Willow told him.   
"But Xander, the magic, it went through me. I tried not to use it, but somehow we appeared here. Outside the hospital I mean. I gave some old man a scare.."  
"Willow," he stopped her, "Buffy got shot too. It was Warren. He had a gun and he shot her in the back garden."  
"Warren." Willow seethed, her eyes glowing red again.  
"Woah, Will. Your eyes. Don't even go there."  
"Is Buffy ok, alive I mean?" Willow asked her eyes returning to their normal colour, after the fury had died down a little.  
"I don't know. She just woke up. Dawn's here. I should get back to her. You coming?" he asked.  
"No, I'm staying here. But as soon as I've heard about Tara, I'll come see her."   
He nodded. "Don't do anything stupid, Will. We'll get our revenge with Tara and Buffy beside us."  
A nurse opened the door that Willow was facing.  
"Miss Rosenburg? She's just woken up from surgery and she's asking for you." The nurse told her. This time Willow's eyes lit up with joy as she waved to Xander who was walking away.  
  
To be continued... 


	3. Chapter 3

Please, please leave feedback!   
Don't sue....my funds are now £0.00p so all's I could maybe give you is a black banana!  
  
Dawn paced up and down outside Buffy's room.   
"Come on Xander." She muttered to herself.  
She was seething inside, partly at Warren and partly at Spike.  
*How dare they hurt my sister* she thought.  
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Xander with two cups in his hands and a paper bag under his arm.  
"Soda and Jelly doughnut? I found a café downstairs." he said.  
She smiled gratefully and took the bag from him.  
He sat down and she did the same.  
"Dawn, I have something to tell you. Tara got shot too. She's alive though, she was just waking up as I left Willow."  
Dawn went a little whiter.   
"Warren is a dead man walking." she exclaimed.  
Xander gave a nod in agreeance.  
The Doctor sauntered out of Buffy's room, now fully aware of the situation.  
He smiled at the waiting pair.  
"Hi, I'm Doctor Jackson. You must be Buffy's sister." he said to Dawn.  
"Yeah. How's she doing?" Dawn asked.  
"She is still in the critical books. There is some internal bleeding that we can't stop at the moment."  
"Try harder." Dawn blurted out.  
The smile flickered on the doctors lips, "We're doing our best."  
He looked at Xander. "You are..." he asked.  
Xander stood up, "I'm Xander Harris. I bought her here."  
"Boyfriend?" Doctor Jackson asked.  
"Oh, no. Best friend." Xander informed him. "We're also with Tara Maclay. She's just down the hall. Is she going to be alright? My friend Willow is with her." Xander said.  
"Tara Maclay...the second victim...yes, she's fine. We stopped the bleeding. The shot-wound was just above her heart. A millimeter down and she wouldn't have lived. Very lucky."  
"Yeah....getting shot is like winning the lottery." Dawn muttered. The doctor looked at her.  
"Can I see Buffy now?" she whined.  
"I'm afraid not. Some nurses are getting her ready for surgery. She will be gone for some time. If you go down the corridor and turn left there is a family room there. It has a television, fridge, sofas and other such things. Make yourself comfortable."  
With that, he took off in the other direction, an air about his as if he thought he owned the place.  
"Can we see Tara then?" Dawn asked.  
"Sure."  
They hurried off towards her room.   
  
Willow had gone from the corridor when they arrived and the door to Tara's room was shut.  
Dawn gently knocked, but there was no answer so they say down.  
After about ten minutes of idle conversation the door opened and Willow came out with a smile on her face.  
"Hey!" she said when she saw them.  
"How is she?" Dawn asked, referring to Tara.  
"Tara's...good. She fell asleep again."  
"And Buffy?" Willow inquired.  
"They can't stop the bleeding, she's gotta have more surgery." Xander informed her.  
Willow's face clouded over.  
"What exactly happened?" Willow asked.  
"Buffy and I were hugging," he explained, "We had just made up. Then I saw Warren from over her shoulder and we stood up. Warren said something," Xander paused trying to remember the exact words, "'You think you could just do that to me, you think I'd let you get away with that, think again.' And then he shot her. I think it went off about five to six times. She shoved me out the way after the first shot. She saved my life."  
"She has a habit of doing that." Dawn said quietly.  
There was the sound of hurried footsteps and a nurse appeared.  
"Excuse me?" she said to the waiting group, "You're with Buffy Summer's aren't you? Please come with me."  
They followed her back, including Willow.  
"What's happened?" Xander asked.  
The nurse stopped outside Buffy's room.  
"We can't stop the bleeding. I'm very sorry."  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Willow cried.  
"She's gonna die." Dawn said, dropping to the floor.  
  
To be continued.... 


	4. Chapter 4

I know you're meant to put this at the beginning, but, this is dedicated to the following people, Leila and Tara, for being there when I need them. Ruth, Lauren and Megan.   
Some as before...don't sue!  
Please, please, please leave feedback!!   
  
Xander opened the door and pushed past the nurse.  
Willow stepped over Dawn and followed him.  
A team of nurses and doctors buzzed around Buffy, trying to keep her alive.  
Xander glanced at Willow.  
Her eyes had gone a deep red.  
"Willow..." he warned. *Do I stop her from using the magic, or let her?* he thought in a panic, *If she uses the magic it might destroy her, but if she doesn't Buffy will die*  
Willow rushed to Buffy's side, knocked the nurses out the way.  
"Silence!" she commanded. Xander stepped forward to stop her, but changed his mind.   
*We stopped Willow being Uber-Wicca before, we can do it again. I don't think Buffy will take too kindly to being brought back from death again. Not that we could if we tried.*   
The nurses and doctors all fell silent as if by magic, which of course it was, and took a step back.  
Willow placed her hand on Buffy's chest.  
"Reavus!" she yelled.  
The bullet flew up and into Willow's hand.   
She clenched her palm over it and turned her hand over. She opened her hand and there was nothing but silver dust.  
She blew it off.  
The wound in Buffy's chest started to get smaller and smaller until there was nothing.  
Buffy's eyes opened and she coughed into her hand.  
"Hey Buffy." Willow said with a smile.  
She turned to the wide-eyed medical staff.  
"Forget." she commanded.  
They all turned to the door and walked out, having totally forgotten the recent events.  
"Huh?" Buffy said, disorientated.  
Xander smiled through tears of joy.  
He took her into his arms and gave her a huge hug, which was met by violet coughing.  
"Ow..." she mustered, before falling asleep in his arms.  
Willow shrugged, "She must still be....you know..."  
Her eyes had returned to their normal colour.  
"Thank you." Xander said, not knowing what else to say.  
Willow sighed, "I gotta get help, Xander. I can't stop with the magic."  
Xander, who hadn't let go of Buffy who was asleep in his arms said, "Well, I'm glad you didn't already."  
Willow nodded in agreement.  
"We need to get her out of here." Willow said, "The doctor's won't know why she's here."  
Xander gently cradled Buffy in him arms and lifted her.  
"You alright with her?" Willow asked.  
"She's really light." Xander said with a frown.  
"It's nothing to do with the magic." Willow said defensively.  
"I know! I just mean, she's light. Like she hasn't been eating."  
"Oh." Willow amended, "Ohhh, yeah, I haven't seen her eat in days to be honest."  
Willow opened the door quietly and almost tripped over Dawn who was still sitting on the floor, gazing off into space.  
"Dawn?" Willow said, giving her a tap on the shoulder.  
She gave a jump then turned to look at Willow.  
"She's gone, isn't she." Dawn said quietly.  
"No. I pulled the bullet out her chest and stopped the bleeding."   
The door opened a bit wider and Xander appeared with Buffy in his arms.  
Dawn pulled herself onto shaky feet. "Why's she still like that then?" she demanded, although incredibly relieved.  
Willow shrugged. "I'm gonna see Tara now. Xander, take her home, let her get some rest. I'll be home later."  
Willow turned to look around the corridor. It was empty.  
"Dawn, hold Xander's hand and close your eyes."  
Dawn, still a little in shock, did as she was told.  
"Willow, what are you doing?" Xander demanded.  
"Just close your eyes, it's a little disorientating otherwise." She explained.  
"No magic Willow!" Xander cried, as Willow muttered under her breath.  
Then everything went black.  
  
Xander opened his eyes. Buffy was still clutched in his arms and Dawn his hand. They were in the middle of Buffy's living room.  
"That was weird!" Dawn exclaimed.  
He let out an angry sigh.  
"I'm gonna put her on the sofa, so we can keep an eye over her." Xander told Dawn.  
He lay Buffy gently down on the sofa. She didn't move.  
Dawn put her hand on Buffy's forehead. "She's cool."   
Dawn wondered off upstairs to get a blanket.  
Xander gave Buffy a small shake.  
"Buffy? You awake?" he asked, although she obviously wasn't.  
"Here." Dawn said, holding out a fluffy blue blanket.   
He lay it over her.  
"Let her sleep." He told Dawn.  
He closed the curtains and switched the light off.  
He glanced at her before leaving, she was pale and the blood was still staining her shirt.  
She was breathing, he noted. But something was definitely not right.  
"Willow, what have you done?" he groaned silently.  
  
To be continued... 


	5. Chapter 5

All the characters belong to Joss Wedon, Marti Noxon, UPN etc....So please don't sue!  
Please, please review it!! It makes me so happy to get a review!!  
I don't watch Angel regularly, so I can't really judge what's happening in Angel at the same time this story is set. So, there is no Connor, Wesley and Angel are still talking etc...There is no Cordy/Angel stuff, because it's just WRONG! Fred and Gunn are together, but Groo isn't in it.  
  
There was a cracking sound as the phone was slammed down.  
"Oops." Xander said.  
"Where the hell is he?" Willow asked, annoyed.  
Willow sat on the sofa in Buffy's living room, Tara by her side. It had been four days since the shooting and Tara had been released from hospital that morning.   
Just looking at her, she appeared to be fine. A huge bandage around her chest the only reminder of the near-fatal shooting. She was in a lot of pain, although she didn't admit it. Willow kept offering to heal her with magic, but Tara refused. Much to Tara's annoyance Willow had started using magic again, although not so much in front of her. She didn't have the heart to leave her again. She loved her so much, she couldn't go through it again.   
"I think I broke the phone." Xander muttered.  
Willow groaned, "Now we will never get hold of Giles."  
Tara took Willow's hand. "Of course we will sweetie. He's just busy, probably gone on a weekend away with Olivia."  
Xander nodded in agreement.  
"What is Buffy never wakes up?" Willow asked, her eyes filling with tears.  
"Is there anyone else that could help us, other than Giles?" Tara suggested.  
"She's going to stay in a coma forever and it's all my fault!" Willow wailed.  
Tara put her arm around her upset girlfriend, ignoring the pain shooting through the now closed, but still very painful, wound in her chest.  
Buffy hadn't woken since Willow first healed her. They had tried everything, talking to her, shouting, pouring cold water over her, pleading. Nothing had worked. She lay in her bedroom where she had been for the last three days.  
Xander flopped down on the armchair.  
"I don't know." he said, in response to Tara.  
They all sat in deep thought.  
"Giles is the only one that knows about this kind of thing." Xander stated.  
"No he's not!" Willow said suddenly, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Wesley."   
Tara smiled, "See," she paused before adding, "who?"  
"Buffy's second watcher," Xander explained, "she fired him when he wouldn't help her find a cure for Angel."  
"A cure?" she inquired.  
"Faith, the other Slayer, shot him with poison. The Watcher's council knew the cure but wouldn't help her."  
"I'll give him a ring." Xander said, reaching for the telephone.  
"Oh shit!" he cursed, remembering the phone was dead.  
The sound of a key in a lock was heard, then the front door burst open.  
"Is she awake?" Dawn called, always her first question when she saw Xander or Willow.  
"No." Xander shouted back.   
Dawn came through the door and stopped when she saw Tara. "Oh my god!" she shrieked.  
She ran up to Tara and flung her arms around her.  
Tara bit her lip and ignored the pain surging through her.  
Willow let out a cry, before turning to face Tara.  
Dawn let go and stepped back, realising she had hurt her.  
"Willow?" Tara said.   
Willow placed her hand on Tara's chest. "No magic." Tara protested trying to pull away.  
Willow muttered something inaudible.  
Tara felt a surge of power go through her.   
"Better?" Willow asked hopefully.  
Tara nodded, before getting up and walking out.  
Willow sighed. "I could feel her pain. My soul could feel her physical pain."  
"That's so sweet!" Dawn chirped.  
"Don't you ever learn?" Xander asked Willow angrily, before following Tara.  
  
Tara sat down heavily on a kitchen stool. She lay her head on the table and tried to stop her tears.  
"Are you alright?" Xander asked softly.  
He gently put his arm over her hunched shoulders. She stood up and turned to him.  
"I can't stop her Xander! What can I do?" she leaned against him and cried into his chest.  
"Shh..." he whispered, slowly rocking her in comfort.  
After a few minutes she pulled away.  
"She needs help." Tara stated as she wiped her tears away.  
"I'll ring Wesley. See what he says. He might be able to help her."  
He left Tara in the kitchen and ran up the stairs. He got the cordless phone out of Willow's bedroom and then went into Buffy's bedroom.  
She still lay in the exactly the same position as she had been the last time he had checked in on her.  
Her hair was platted either side of her face, courtesy of Dawn. She was now in a clean pale blue nightgown. She still had no colour on her face though.  
He found her address book on her dresser and flicked it open to 'A.'  
Angel Investigation's was the first one listed.  
It rang three times before a male voice answered.  
"Angel Investigations. We help the helpless." Angel's voice answered.  
"Angel. It's Xander, is Wesley there?"  
"Yeah. What's wrong? Is Buffy ok?" Angel asked, his voice worried.  
"It's hard to explain. I need to speak to Wesley." Xander said again.  
"Wesley!" Angel yelled.  
There was the sound of muttering, then the sound of somebody clearing their throat.  
"Hello, Wesley speaking."  
"Hey Wesley. We need your help."  
  
To be continued... 


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry it's short...  
  
Willow sat slumped against Dawn.   
Dawn was sitting in silence, not knowing whether to yell at Willow for putting her sister into a coma or hug her for the obvious guilt she was going through.  
"I just wanted to take away her pain." Willow moaned, into Dawn's arm. Dawn nodded, not knowing if she meant Buffy, Tara or both.  
"I'll go ask Xander if he wants any help." Dawn said, pulling away from Willow.  
Willow sat up then fell in the other direction, landing on the arm rest.  
Dawn glared at her then left.  
Tara and Xander were deep in conversation when Dawn entered the kitchen.  
They stopped when they heard her,  
"What's going on?" Dawn asked, opening the fridge, rummaged through she came across a bag of grapes, she opened them and stuffed three in her mouth.  
"I called Wesley." Xander told her.  
"Oh, great. Is he gonna help?" Dawn asked.  
"He's on his way." Xander answered.  
"Really," Dawn smiled, "What did he say exactly?"  
He cleared his throat. "He said, don't let Willow out of our site."  
"Is she, dangerous?" Dawn asked, looking a little scared.  
"She's out of control Dawny." Tara said in a small voice.  
They heard footsteps in the hall.  
"Grape?" Dawn asked.  
Willow came to view, she walked around Dawn and went straight to Tara.  
"Tara, I'm sorry, I couldn't bear to see, well feel you in that much pain."  
Tara nodded, but didn't say anything.  
"Have you rung Wesley?" Willow asked Xander.  
"Yep," Xander said "He's coming to Sunnydale."  
Willow smiled, "So can he help Buffy?"   
Xander shrugged, "He sounded very worried when I said she hadn't woke up since. He was also worried about you Will."  
Willow looked down. "It's my choice to use magic."  
"So I'm nothing to do with you're choice?" Tara cried.  
"Of course you are." Willow said, looking helpless.  
"No I'm not! You don't care. I almost died and yet you still use magic. You know I..." her voice broke and she rushed out again, pushing past Willow. They heard the front door slam.  
"She's right you know." Dawn told her.  
"What the hell has it got to do with you?" Willow yelled and stormed upstairs.  
"She's just upset." Xander told Dawn, who looked like she was about to cry.  
Dawn stood in silence for a while, before saying,  
"She asked for Mom."  
"What?" Xander asked, missing what she said.  
"Buffy, when she woke she asked for Mom."   
Xander nodded. "Um, yeah."  
The cordless telephone Xander had next to him rang, making them jump.  
Dawn reached for it, "Hello?"  
"Hello. It's Wesley. Is Xander there please?"  
"Yep." she handed the phone to him.  
"Xander, it's Wesley speaking. We are on the road, but we are doing research as we go."  
"Right. Who's we?"  
"Angel, Cordelia, Gunn and Fred."  
"The whole motley crew."  
"Hm...We need magical assistance. Anyone that has a magical background. Willow will be needed. I have got in contact with Rupert. He's on his way."  
"Oh, he answers for you then."  
"Anyone else you can think off, we need them." He continued, ignoring Xander.  
"How many?"  
"As many as possible. There is some serious dark magic involved." Wesley coughed before adding. "As soon as Buffy is well again, we need to bind Willow."  
"Will she be hurt?" Xander asked.  
"Maybe, but it will be worse if we don't."  
"Ok. See you soon." Xander hung up.  
"Well?" Dawn asked.  
"We need to go to the Magic Box. I'll explain on the way." Xander told her, grabbing his coat.  
  
To be continued... 


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the long delay, even before ff.net went down.  
Please read and review!  
  
You could have heard a pin drop in the Magic Box.  
Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn and The Fang Gang were having a huge research party, snacks and all.  
Wesley, Angel, Cordelia, Fred and Gunn had arrived two days ago. Giles had gotten the first flight he could back from England and had arrived in Sunnydale the previous day.  
Xander threw his book down on the table causing everyone in the room to jump.  
"Do you have to?" Giles snapped. He whipped his glasses off the bridge of his nose and cleaned them.  
"Sorry." Xander said, "Ahn, pass me another book please."  
Anya handed him the next book off a pile of fourteen without her eyes leaving the page she was on.  
Cordelia, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, sighed and stood up, closing her book, "Nothing."  
"This is useless!" Xander cried, throwing his new book on top of the other. He looked at the clock.  
"Oh, what a shame." He said sarcastically, "Anya and I are due at Buffy's to take over Willow and Tara."  
Anya handed the book she was reading to Gunn who was empty handed, after giving up. He just looked at her. She glared at him and he started to read with a sigh.  
"I'll go on watch after you two." said Angel.  
"Ok. See you in an hour." Xander said.  
"Willow and Tara have been on watch for three hours!" Dawn protested.  
Xander ignored her, grabbed Anya's arm and pulled her towards the door.  
"Bye!" he called, which was met by a few grunts.  
"Before Willow gets here, do we have the spell to bind her yet?" Cordelia asked.  
"Yes. As soon as we have brought Buffy out of the coma we can start on Willow. Because we might need her with her powers to get Buffy out of the coma." Wesley explained.  
"Can't she just reverse the spell?" Dawn asked.  
"No." Giles said patiently, although he already explained to her, "We would be back to square one."  
"With her bleeding to death." Gunn put in helpfully. Fred nudged him.  
"I'm sure we will find something soon." Fred told Dawn.  
"Why do we need all those magicy people?" Dawn asked.  
"To bind Willow and get Buffy out of the coma." Giles sighed.  
"Will stopped before. Why can't she do it again? We will help again." Dawn pestered.  
"She's too powerful, she's spiraling out of control. Our simple 'help' won't do it this time."  
"Oh." Dawn said, before stuffing a whole doughnut into her mouth.  
Cordelia grimaced, "Even Xander doesn't do that, well didn't."  
"Gere gice." Dawn mumbled, her mouth full.  
"Has anyone patrolled?" Wesley asked.  
"I did earlier. " Angel told him.  
"I helped." Cordelia put in.  
"Who's on duty with Buffy after Angel?" Fred asked.  
"Why does she need people to watch her anyway?" Dawn said, "She's in a coma."  
"In case she wakes up or something." Cordelia snapped.  
"C..can I go on patrol tomorrow night?" Dawn asked.  
"No!" Giles cried. "Why don't you go back to the house."   
Dawn looked annoyed before getting up and walking out, slamming the shop door behind her.  
"Brat." Gunn mumbled.  
Giles groaned. "I suppose I better go after her. We're under a lot of stress and could do without the persistent questions being asked again and again."  
"So what are we trying to find? How to wake a Slayer in a coma?" Gunn asked.  
Wesley put the book down he was reading, "We need something about the spell Willow used to Buffy. She told us which spell, we are looking for something like, maybe the side effects."  
"Here's something!" Giles cried, moving to sit in-between Wesley and Angel to show them. "The spell Willow used was black magic, obviously." He scanned the text looking more and more worried as he read. "Buffy's soul, it has gone to another dimension. Which one, I don't know."  
"Another dimension?" Fred repeated.  
The door opened, Willow and Tara walked through.  
"Hello!" Willow greeted.  
"Hi." Tara said shyly.  
"We found out why Buffy won't wake up." Gunn told them.  
Willow looked around for an empty seat, there was only one so they both shared.  
"The spell you used, it was black magic and although healed her physically, somehow it caused her soul to go to another dimension." Giles explained.  
They both looked shocked.  
"Which one?" Willow asked, "We can get her back."  
"With more magic?" Angel snapped.  
"It shouldn't be too hard." Willow said, "I can..." she trailed off. "Which one?" she repeated.  
"We don't know." Giles told her.  
"N..not, a h..heavenly one?" Tara asked, her stutter coming back when ever she was nervous.  
"It might be." Giles said.  
"But it might not." Wesley put in.  
"Why would you think it's heavenly one?" Angel asked.  
"That's where she was before." Willow said quietly.  
"In heaven?" Fred asked, missing the point she added, "Wow"  
"That's where she was? I thought she was in hell." Angel cried, "And you pulled her out of Heaven?"  
"Willow thought she was in hell too." Tara said, putting a hand on Willow's arm. After the argument they had had before, Tara had avoided Willow, but Willow looked so upset from everyone blaming her, Tara had made up with her.  
"No wonder she looked so...her eyes..." Angel said quietly still trying to get his head around it.  
"She didn't tell you where she was?" Cordelia asked.  
"No. I just jumped to the conclusion she was in hell. No wonder she winced every time I mentioned it."   
"Shouldn't we just leave her then? I mean, I know you would lose your friend, but..." Fred asked.  
"But she might not be in heaven again. It might be some kind of hell." Wesley said again.  
"Fifty, fifty chance." Gunn added.  
"So, what does it say in that book?" Angel asked.  
"There is a ritual, to go to the dimension she is in. But you might get, well, stuck there too."   
"What does the ritual involve?" Willow asked.  
"Blood, sacrifice, the usual..." Wesley said, reading over Giles's shoulder.  
"Sacrifice?" Tara repeated..  
"Just a sister of the person the spell is for."   
"Dawn?" Gunn asked.  
"We can't sacrifice Dawn!" Tara cried, looking around for support. Everyone remained silent.  
"It's only Dawn." Giles said.  
Tara went white, "Buffy would never forgive you.. I wouldn't let you."  
"Joke." Wesley chuckled.  
Everyone laughed in a strained sort of way, except Tara and Angel.   
"So what do we really have to do?" Angel asked.  
"We have to make a circle with Buffy in the middle. Someone will also go in the middle with Buffy. We have to chant and open a kind of portal to the dimension she is in. The person in the centre will then go through." Giles explained.  
"Who will go?" Fred asked.  
"Me." Angel said.  
Willow shook her head, "No, I put her there. I will go."   
"I'll go." Angel said determined.  
"Resolve face, I'm going." Willow argued.  
"I don't give a shit about you're 'resolve face.'" Angel shouted, "I'm going. You are only going because you feel guilty."  
"And you're going because, you 'love her'?" Willow cried.  
Angel looked down. "So much you buggered off to LA and left her." she continued.  
"I thought I was doing the right thing at the time."  
"At the time?" Cordelia echoed.  
"I left her so she wasn't in the dark and could be in the sunshine. I think she's more in the dark than she ever was." He said sadly.   
"The only time she was happy is when she was with you." Willow confirmed, cooling down.   
"But what about the no kids thing and she'll grow old and you won't" Gunn pointed out.   
"She's not going to have children." Willow said, "She's the Slayer and plus she has Dawn."  
"Don't Slayer's have short lives anyway? So you won't see her grow old." Cordelia added.  
Gunn kicked her.  
"Ow! I'm just saying the facts." she defended.  
"She's right, you know." Wesley told Angel.  
Angel nodded, "I know."  
"Willow I mean." Wesley said hurriedly.  
Angel nodded again.  
"So, lets get this ritual started. Buffy's house, then we won't have to get her anywhere."  
"I'll lock up then, shall I?" Cordelia called after them, as they all went through the shop door. 


	8. Chapter 8

Next chapter already! Aren't I good!  
Please, please leave feedback! Don't make me beg! Oh wait I have already! Oh well...  
Enjoy...  
You can also send feedback to Jade-Hamn@bushinternet.com.  
Thanks!  
  
"Can you draw the curtains please." Tara asked Fred.  
All the lights were out in the Summer's home, except one in the hall.  
To atmosphere was tense to say the least. Expectation and fear of what was to come filled the air.  
Everyone was sitting in a circle, in the middle of the living room, except for Dawn and Angel who were getting Buffy, Willow was getting candles, and Fred who was now placing sheer black cloth over a lamp and turning it on.  
She joined the circle in-between Tara and Gunn.  
They heard footsteps and everyone looked towards the door expectantly.  
Dawn entered and looked straight to Tara.  
"Where do I sit?" she asked Tara.  
"Dawn, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be a part of this spell." she said gently.  
She folded her arms across her chest. "Why not?"  
Willow lit the last candle around the outside of the circle.  
Willow took out a large knife and sliced across her palm, she then passed the knife to Giles.  
Dawn laughed nervously, "I'm going to you know, help err Angel..."  
Giles cut his palm and passed the knife to Wesley who did the same.  
Tara looked at Cordelia, Fred, Xander, Anya and Gunn.   
"We don't need everyone. Four people would be fine." Tara said, indicating to Wesley and Giles as well as Willow and herself.   
"Are you sure? I mean, I don't mind..." Xander told her.  
"It would work better with four anyway." Tara said with a smile.  
They moved out the way, with a little bit of relief.  
The knife passed to Wesley and finally Tara. She dragged the blade across the flat of her hand, wincing at the sight of the blood that immediately began to wind its way around her wrist.  
Angel walked slowly through the door, Buffy cradled in his arms. He stepped over Giles and gently placed her on the pale blue cushions in the middle of the square.   
He turned to Willow, "Where do I go?"   
"We all need to put a drop of blood on you, and a drop of blood of Buffy," she told him "You lie next to her."  
Angel did as he was told and one-by-one they all put a drop of their blood on his forehead, then Buffy's.  
"Join hands." Willow commanded. "We need to invoke a Demon named Goura. We will ask him to open the gateway through to the dimension Buffy is in. Angel's soul will then go through."  
"His soul?" Cordelia exclaimed, "But then he will go all evil!"  
"His body will be put in the same kind of coma Buffy's is in. He won't be able to wake up, until he wants to, his soul, not the demon. He knows what to do once he has found her." Willow continued.  
"Ready?" Tara asked.  
Everyone nodded.  
"In nomine Dea Hecate te invocamus, O Goura!" Willow cried, "Cresce ab infernam et nostrum mandatum oboede. Ianuam aethera apere ut anima hic lamie entrare posse. Aude et nos responde Goura ab potesta Hecata!"  
Willow held out her hand to Tara. Tara took it and help out hers to Giles. Giles completed the circle by taking Wesley's hand, there was a loud rumble and a crack of what looked like blue lightning.  
A light seemed to shine from each member of the circle.  
Fred, Gunn, Xander, Anya, Cordelia and Dawn who were sitting at the edge of the room watched in shock and wonder.  
The colours joined above Angel and Buffy in a bright white star shape.  
Suddenly all their bodies went slack and fell backwards.  
The light intensified with a loud bang.  
Angel's eyes closed and his body seemed to glow for a second, before the lights disappeared.  
The candles went out and the bulb in the covered lamp cracked.  
"D..did it work?" Dawn's voice came out of the darkness.  
Sitting up Wesley said, "I think so."  
"Is everybody alright?" Giles asked.  
"That was cool!" Xander exclaimed.  
"Willow?" Tara said.   
"I'm here. You ok?" Willow answered.  
"I'm fine. Was that it?" Tara replied.   
"What do we do with Buffy and Angel?" Anya asked.  
"That's it. Keep all the lights off in here, and leave them be." Willow told her.  
"We should go in the kitchen." Tara said.  
"Tea anyone?" asked Giles. 


	9. Chapter 9

Finished this chapter at last.  
Thanks to everyone for the feedback!! Please keep it coming. It gives me a happy!  
  
Angel never thought he had seen anything so beautiful, with the exception of Buffy of course. It was like thousands of brightly coloured stars strung together, all surrounding him. They sparkled randomly.   
He was floating. It was like he was on drugs, on a high.  
*Is this what heaven is like?* he wondered.  
There was a loud thud before pain ripped through him, like every nerve was on fire.  
The pretty lights went out, he was left in complete darkness. The pain subsided.  
*Or not*  
His senses adjusted and he realised he was in a small room, like a cell. There were chains on the wall, hanging limply unused. He grabbed one of them and pulled himself up.  
"Buffy!" he yelled. It seemed to bounce off the walls around him. He growled in frustration.  
Suddenly a door appeared in front of him. It was a few inches bigger than him, and had a small window with three bars blocking it.  
Where the gaps were, bright light shone through making it impossible to see what was behind it.  
Angel took an unneeded breath and opened it.   
He found a long corridor that had about three doors either side and ended in one final large door.  
He headed straight for the final door, ignoring all the rest. Angel put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it, but found it locked.  
He took and step backwards before giving it a hard kick. It splintered, another sharp kick and it flung open.  
A large room was behind it. It was more like the size of a ball-room. A small girl sat directly in the middle.   
She had light brown hair and looked about seven to eight years old. She had her knees pulled up to her chin and was rocking herself gently back and forth.  
Angel stepped through the door way and cleared his throat.  
The little girl looked up.  
"Angel," she said softly, "I've been waiting for you."  
"Is Buffy here?" he asked her.  
"Yes and no." she replied.  
"I don't have time for games. Where is she?" he snapped.  
The girl stood and smiled. "No need to get snippy with me, Mr Angel."  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
"I'm Celia."  
Angel stopped in surprise. "I thought you died." he blurted out, before realising what he had said.  
She laughed, musical almost non-human laugh. "That's correct Mr Angel, but aren't you dead?"  
"Yeah, but I mean.... Are you a vampire? No, you're not a vampire." He babbled.  
"I'm not a vampire, I'm a ghost."  
"Right." The norm' then, "So have you seen Buffy?" he said impatiently.  
"You have to answer a question first."  
He glanced around uneasily, "Then I can take her home?"  
"Answer the question first. What's her favourite colour?" Celia asked.  
"This is my question? It's a bit lame as far as questions go." Angel complained.  
Celia just glared at him. She had the same green eyes as Buffy.  
"Her favourite colour is blue." He sighed.  
"Wrong." Celia snapped.  
"Yes it is, I remember her clearly telling me her favourite colour was blue." Angel exclaimed.  
Celia nodded. "Death was her gift."  
"Ok, this doesn't make sense. What the hell is going on? Where is she?"  
Celia stood up, walked over to him and took his hand.  
"Tell her it wasn't her fault." she told him.  
"What wasn't her fault?" he asked.  
"My death," She said simply, "Close your eyes."  
"That doesn't usually go so well." He mumbled, but did as he was told.  
There was a bang and he felt Celia's hand leave his.  
  
"Hello." A soft, familiar voice said.  
Angel opened his eyes. "Hello Mrs Summers." He greeted.  
"So you're looking for my daughter?" she asked.  
"Yeah, do I have to answer another question where the answer doesn't actually make sense?" Angel asked.  
She laughed, "No."  
Angel sighed in relief. "Is Buffy here?"  
"She's through there." Joyce said pointing to a door.  
Angel hurried to the door.  
"Brace yourself." Joyce called.  
He yanked the door open. "Buffy?" he called into the darkness. He stepped though, and let the door go. It slammed shut making him jump.   
His eyes strained in the darkness. His ears were alert.  
He lifted up face and sniffed the air. The air was thick with the scent of blood. It was blood he would recognise anywhere. Buffy's.  
He growled deep in his stomach.  
Lights suddenly flicked on, blinding him for an minute. His eyes finally adjusted to the harsh light.  
Buffy was leaning against the far wall, her arms chained above her head. She was dressed in a white dress that was stained with blood some dried, most not.  
Her head was bowed forward and her blonde hair hid her face.  
Her skirt her ridden up to her knees and whip marks decorated her lower legs. Her arms had what looked like burn marks all over them.  
Angel rushed over to her and fell to his knees by her side.  
"Buffy," he cried, "Buffy, love can you hear me?"  
He swept her hair from across her face. A huge bruise covered the right side of her face, including her eyes. Although around her eye it went a particularly nasty mixture of blue, gray and purple.  
A deep cut ran down the left side of her cheek, from her eyebrow to her chin. He gently touched her face and she winced at his touch and tried to pull away, not succeeding in getting very far because of the restriction of her chains.   
"Buffy, it's Angel." He whispered. She was trembling, he realised.  
He stood up and took hold of her chains, using all his strength he pulled.  
The metal cuffs around her wrists flashed blue, giving her an electric shock. She barley had the strength to cry out.  
"Magic." He groaned, almost bursting into tears.   
Buffy opened one bloodshot eye. "Angel?" she whispered not really believing what she saw.  
"I'm here. It's ok, I'm here." he said wrapping his arms gently around her beaten body.  
She tried to take a deep breath in, but she whimpered.  
Angel ran his fingers gently down her side and realised a few of her ribs were broken.  
"The Key." she rasped, her voice strained.  
"Where love?" he prodded.  
She shrugged before all her strength seemed to drain out of her and she fell forward, her chains the only thing stopping her from hitting the floor. He gently lent her back against the wall, in a more comfortable position, before slowly standing up.  
Someone was going to die for this. 


	10. Chapter 10

*Can vampires even go numb?* Angel idly wondered, *Surely you go numb because your blood isn't pumping properly? And seeing as my blood doesn't pump, is it even possible?*   
He stood up and wondered slowly around the cell containing him and his soulmate. As he had tried to leave to find the key to release Buffy from her handcuffs, he had found the door was locked.  
He had now been with Buffy for what he guessed, around five hours. Every now and then Buffy would stir and groan in pain, before he cradled her and rocked her back to soothing sleep.  
Angel put his strong hand on the door handle once more in a ever hopeful attempt the door would be open. He twisted it with all his strength. Nothing. He growled in frustration and kicked it as hard as he could. Nothing.  
A small whimper caught his attention. He rushed across the room and sat beside Buffy.  
He gently pulled her in to his arms, stretching her chains to the full capacity.  
"Shh love." he comforted, caressing her hair.  
"Angel?" she asked in the questioning way she always said his name.  
"I'm here sweetheart. It's ok." he continued, gently rocking her frail body.  
"It hurts." Buffy whispered.  
"Where does it hurt?" Angel asked. Frustration growing that he couldn't help her while he was stuck in the cell.  
"Everywhere." She groaned, before darkness swallowed her once more, taking the pain away.  
Angel continued stroking her hair even though he knew she was asleep. He closed his eyes and soon exhaustion claimed him, and he fell asleep.  
  
"Angel?" a voice cried piecing through to his dream. "Angel, fucking wake up already."  
He opened his eyes and gazed at the girl squatted in front of him and Buffy.  
"What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.  
"Not happy to see me?" she snapped.  
Angel adjusted Buffy in his arms, "Of course I am, just....are you real?"  
The dark haired girl laughed, "Yeah, last time I looked. So we planning on sitting here makin' small talk or getting out this shit-hole?"  
He nodded towards his sleeping blonde, "Her chains are magical, they give her a shock every time you pull on them excessively. She's too weak to try anything."  
"Good job I got the key then." The girl laughed.  
"How did you get them?" Angel asked.  
"Nicked 'em. Can we go now?"   
She leaned forward and slid the key in the lock. Once the chains were off Angel stood up and gently cradled Buffy in his arms.  
"How are you here?" Angel asked the girl as they walked back through the room Angel had entered through. Joyce had gone. They went out through another doorway, the girl leading.  
"They let me out early on good behaviour. I went to Sunnydale to see Buffy, Willow, Joyce and Xander. To say sorry, like you told me to. But you and Buffy are lying in the middle of her living room all coma-y. Plus Joyce is dead. So I offered to come and help you to prove how sorry I was to them. So, here I am." She explained.  
"It's good to see you Faith." Angel said.  
"You to. Who's the asshole that did that to her?" Faith asked, pointing at Buffy.  
Angel shrugged, "I don't know, but someone's gonna pay."   
They walked down the corridor's in silence for awhile, until they got to the end where there were a choice of two ways.  
"It's this way." Faith said, motioning to the right.  
"You sure?" Angel asked.  
Faith nodded.. They continued until Faith suddenly stopped. "Did you hear that?"   
"Footsteps." Angel confirmed.  
"In here." Faith whispered, nodding to a nearby door. Faith opened it and held it open for Angel. It was a medium sized room. A bed was on the far wall, with a cupboard, bedside table and other objects you would find in a normal teenage girls bedroom. The bedside table was littered with photographs and other ornaments.   
Faith picked up one of the pictures, "That's Joyce.." She showed it to Angel.  
Angel put Buffy down on the bed. "Yeah. This is Buffy's old room in LA."  
Faith looked around, "How do you know? I didn't think you knew her before she came to Sunnydale."  
"I watched her for awhile. Before she moved to LA." Angel explained.  
"Oh. So you were like her stalker?"  
Angel smiled, "Something like that. It was only for a few days."  
Buffy whimpered in his arms, and he gently lay her on her old bed.  
She opened her eyes. She looked around and then at Faith, finally looking at Angel. "Dream, right?" she asked.  
Angel smiled, "No. What's the last thing you remember?"  
She frowned in concentration, "I remember Warren shooting me. Then I remember waking up in hospital, then waking up in this other room."   
"You're in another dimension." Angel explained.  
"Yeah, I figured that out. Same old." She rolled her eyes.  
"How many dimensions you been to then B?" Faith asked.  
"At least two." Buffy answered, a deep sadness in her eyes.  
"I'm sorry about your Mom." Faith blurted out.  
Angel winced. He looked at Buffy who's face was blank.   
"Thanks." Buffy finally answered.  
He sighed in relief.   
"Buffy," Angel said gently, "Who did this to you?" He gently stroked her hair.  
"These people." She said, tears filling her eyes.   
He sat down next to her, "Sweetheart, you have to tell me, what did they look like?"  
There was a loud bang and the door was flung open. Four vampires stood peering in.   
One vampire sneered, "Oh lookey what we found. Our little Slayer and two trespasser's. Elgin won't be pleased."  
"Who the fucks Elgin?" Faith snapped.  
"The boss." Another vampire smirked.  
"Kill the trespasser's. Get the Slayer back to Elgin." The tallest vampire commanded. He looked as though he had been a club bouncer in his life.  
Faith and Angel left in to action. Angel smashed his fist in to the nearest vampires nose taking him be surprise, while Faith snap-kicked another between his legs. Another two vampires came running in. Angel grabbed and chair and snapped the leg off. He plunged it into a vampires chest and it exploded into dust. Faith grabbed the other leg and did the same to another vampire. Angel killed another of the vampires quickly. He turned to get another but found the remaining three had cornered Faith. She was struggling against them. Suddenly two turned to dust. Angel grabbed the last one and staking him though the back. Buffy was sitting up and she had a crossbow in each hand, pointing towards the two vampires that were dust.   
"Thanks B." Faith grinned.   
"No problem. I thought I'd left some weapons here." Buffy smiled, still leaning against the wall.  
"So this Elgin's the big bad around here then." Faith said.  
"How do we get out of here." Buffy asked.  
"Willow gave me this ritual, but we need to be outside to do it. It needs the four elements." Faith explained.  
"Willow told me that ritual as well. Where are we going to find fire, water and earth around here? Air is easy." Angel complained.  
Angel picked up Buffy in his arms again. "Lets get out of here."  
Faith led the way, they kept to the sides being as quiet as possible.  
"Angel, I think I can walk." Buffy protested. Angel gently set her on her feet and help her steady until she had he balance.  
"Through this door." Faith exclaimed, she yanked the handle and they went outside. "Is it light?" Angel asked.  
"No. It's dark." Faith replied.  
Angel followed supporting a limping Buffy.  
It was desolate. A huge vast of dessert stretched before them.   
"Shall we risk just leaving here?" Faith asked.  
"I want to get away from here. Maybe find some kind of Oasis." Angel replied. They set off.  
  
After about half an hour of walking, Buffy looked as though she was going to faint, so Angel once again picked her up and carried her.   
"I wish I had thought to bring a tent and a bottle of water." Faith complained.  
  
TBC.......  
Feedback please!!!!!!! 


	11. Chapter 11

Please, please leave feedback! I am a feedback junkie!  
  
  
"What the hell is that noise?" Angel asked about three miles later.  
"It sounds like someone chopping wood or something." Faith said.   
They made their way up a big hill. They finally reached the top.   
A village of about twenty wooden houses spread before them. They surrounded a large hut, which looked like some kind of meeting area. A fire burned in another spot and a large pot was hung over it. Delicious homely smells reached Faith's nose, making her stomach rumble loudly. And, sure enough a man was on the far side chopping wood.  
  
A large white woman with dark hair, held back in a plait emerged from one of the huts.  
"Hilo!" she greeted calling up to them.   
They went down the hill to meet her. "Hi." Faith said.   
She went off in a trail of excited babbling in another language neither Faith or Angel understood. Buffy couldn't be bothered to think. She brain felt like cotton wool.  
  
"Do you speak English?" Faith asked.  
"I speak Latin, French, German, Irish, Greek, Spanish..." Angel started.  
"I speaketh Engosh." The woman said in a strange accent.  
"Hello. We escaped from this big building over there." Faith explained pointing behind her.  
"Baadd place." The woman frowned. Then she brightened up, "My name ez Mara."   
"I'm Angel. This is Faith and this is Buffy."  
"Pretty girl hurt?" Mara asked.  
"Yeah. Can you help?" Angel asked.  
Mara nodded before screeching, "Lana!"   
  
A girl of about fifteen came running out of the nearest wooden hut.   
"Ma?" Lana, who had waist length dark hair that was almost black, questioned.  
Mara told her something in a strange language.  
Lana smiled at them and beckoned them to follow. She led them back to her hut. Angel stopped in the doorway, unable to enter.  
"You sure it's alright for us to come in?" Angel asked Lana.  
"Oh yes, come in." They followed her in, she pointed to a straw bed. "Hurt girl there." Lana told them.  
  
Angel lay Buffy down on the bed and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead Mara came bustling in with a smaller pot than the one they saw cooking.  
She spooned the thick stew into three bowls. She gave one to Angel and the other to Faith.   
"Lana..." she the babbled something again in her native language.  
"Come." Lana told Faith and Angel. She led them back outside.  
"Are you sure they are human?" Faith whispered to Angel.  
"Yes." Angel replied.  
"How can you tell?" Faith asked.  
"I can smell them."  
"Can we just leave her there?"  
Angel shrugged, "They seem nice."  
"Yeah, until they pull out a knife and stab her." Faith muttered.  
Angel ignored her comment as they were led into what Angel guessed was the meeting hut.  
  
Two huge tables were either side of the hut with another fire in the middle. Around forty people, men, woman and children all sat at both tables. They all ignored Faith and Angel's entrance.  
"Sit." Lana said, pointing to the end of the table where space was.  
"Hello." Angel greeted as he slipped in next to a young woman who smiled at him before continuing a loud conversation with a woman opposite her. Faith sat next to him and grabbed a spoon.   
"This stuff is lovely." Faith complemented the stew, before adding, "Can you eat this stuff?" to Angel.  
"I can eat. Doesn't have any nutritional value, but yeah." Angel explained.  
"Will you starve with no blood?" Faith asked.  
"In time, but I'll find something later." Angel said.  
"Like what?" Faith continued.  
He shrugged.  
"Not like rats or anything. That's disgusting!" Faith explained.  
Angel ignored her, missing Buffy who was never disgusted by anything he did. She loved him for what he was.  
  
Buffy lay in the middle of a hut where Angel and Faith had abandoned her.   
Mara seemed to be mixing some foul smelling herbs in the corner.  
"You lucky to escape." Mara informed her. "Baadd place there. Evil people."  
Mara picked up a clean cloth and dipped it into some warm water.  
"There you ago my Belle. Clean nasty cuts." She dabbed it gently on Buffy's face where it was badly cut.  
She dipped another in cold water and put it on Buffy's swollen eye.  
Mara then got some of her herb mixture and dabbed it onto the burn marks on her arms.  
She opened a small jar that had some yellow ointment in it. She poured a little ointment on another bit of cloth and clean up the whip marks on Buffy's legs.  
"I have pretty dress." Mara told her.  
Buffy glanced at Mara's brown dress that had patches all over it.  
"Nice." Buffy smiled, not wanting to hurt the kind woman.  
"In here." Mara continued, opening a large wooden trunk by the bed. She pulled out a silky long blue dress. It had a lacy top and some kind of blue jewel's sown into the skirt.  
"It's beautiful." Buffy agreed.  
"Belle have." Mara smiled.  
"Oh n o, I couldn't. It's your. Maybe your daughter's." Buffy protested.  
Mara laughed, "No, Lana like boy. Like's trousers to pretty dress. I want Belle to have it."  
  
Faith reached for another piece of bread. "Food here is good!"  
Lana placed a cup in front of Faith, "More wine?" she asked.  
Faith downed it with a grin.  
"You're gonna get drunk." Angel muttered.  
"So?"  
"We won't be able to do the spell to get back."  
"I'm not leaving here until tomorrow. Food's good here."  
"I'm going back to Buffy." Angel said standing up.  
"I'll meet you back there." Faith nodded.  
Angel got up and left the hut. The fire in the middle had gone out.  
"Hilo Handsome." Mara greeted as he entered the hut.  
Buffy was sitting in a chair with her own empty bowl of stew in her hands. Her eyes were closed.  
"She asleep." Mara stated.  
Angel took the bowl from Buffy's hands. He then noticed her dress.  
"Wow." He exclaimed.  
"Little Belle look beautiful." Mara smiled.  
"Yeah, yes she does." Angel agreed.  
"The nasty cut's are healing. The others will take longer." Mara told him. "Can you move her to the bed?" she asked.  
Angel did so, putting her on the large straw bed.   
"The other girl sleep there too." Mara told him.  
"What about you?" Angel asked her, "And your daughter?"  
"We sleep in other hut. This is sick people hut."   
"So your like a doctor?" Angel asked.  
"I prefer nurse." Mara laughed.  
Mara disappeared outside and came back with a large stack of straw. She spread it out on the side Buffy was on.   
"You sleep. Lie down."  
He did as he was told and she spread a blanket over Buffy and Angel. She folded another and put in out for Faith.  
"Night."  
"Thanks and goodnight." Angel replied.  
Mara left the hut, leaving them alone.  
Angel stood up and found another blanket, he hung it across the single window.  
He lay back down next to Buffy and took her in her arms. He finally succumbed to sleep. Not noticing a slightly drunk Faith crawl into bed half an hour later.  
"Night." Faith grunted to the sleeping pair.  
*They make a good couple.* Faith thought to herself as she too drifted off to sleep.   
  
TBC......... 


	12. Chapter 12

"Wake up already!" Faith's irate voice called. Angel slowly managed to open his eyes.  
"Jeez, waking you is as hard as waking the dead!" Buffy said.  
"Ha-ha." Angel replied, sitting up. "What's wrong?" he then added worriedly.  
"Nothing, just we thought we should still do the spell to get back now before it's sunrise." Faith explained.  
"Right, good idea." Angel agreed and pulled himself up.  
It was still pitch black outside. "We can't have slept for long." Angel complained.  
"'Bout an hour." Faith said, having now sobered up.   
"How you feeling?" Angel asked Buffy.  
"I don't know what she gave me, but I want some." Buffy replied with a smile.   
"So all the pains gone?" Angel pressed.  
"Not all." She replied.  
"Shall we get out of here then?" asked Faith.   
"Faith told me about the ritual-thing, I got candles for fire. And some matches" Buffy said.  
  
They got half-way across the village before Faith spotted a well for water.  
Angel picked up a bit of loose soil for earth.  
They went back up to the top of the hill they had come down. They all sat down in a circle.  
Faith who had picked up a loose piece of flint, drew it across her palm until it cut her skin.   
"Ow! Jesus, spell's suck. I'm never gonna be a Witch, all this blood drawing!" Faith complained.  
She passed it to Buffy who did the same without complaint.  
Buffy passed it to Angel, their hands briefly touched. She felt the familiar spark she always got when she touched him.  
Angel smiled at her as he drew the flint across him palm.  
Angel cleared his throat, "In nomine Dea Hecate te invocamus, O Goura!"   
Faith then took over, "Cresce ab infernam et nostrum mandatum oboede."  
Buffy then said the last bit Faith had taught her, "Ianuam aethera apere ut anima hic lamie entrare posse. Aude et nos responde Goura ab potesta Hecata!"  
A crack of blue lightning lit up the sky. A ripple of pain tore across every nerve. They all cried out as they were flung backwards.  
Then everything went black. 


	13. The End

It was Willow's turn for watch. They were taking it in turns to watch over Buffy, Angel and now Faith, incase they woke up.  
Everyone had been surprised when Faith turned up. Willow hadn't wanted to believe her apologies, but as Faith talked, she had slipped out of the room, unnoticed and done a simple truth spell. If the person had lied she would has gone a bright red, only visible to the spell-caster. But Faith had remained her normal colour as she had apologised to everyone in turn, excluding the ones she had just met.  
"Where are Buffy and Angel?" she had asked.  
"Now that's a long story." Xander had replied.  
They all explained what had happened and then Faith surprised them all, "I want to help."   
After much debate, they all agreed. Faith was strong and would be able to handle herself.  
Willow made her memorise the ritual to get back with, before they did the spell to send her there as well.  
That had been yesterday, Angel and been gone for two days.  
Suddenly Faith's eyes snapped open.  
"Faith?" Willow said, putting the book she had been holding down.  
"Did we do it?" Faith asked.  
Then Buffy and Angel's eyes opened at exactly the same time.  
"They're back!" Willow called.  
Xander, Giles and Cordelia came running in. The others were all at the Magic Box with Anya, to get out the house.  
"Did we do it?" Faith asked again.  
"Yeah. I think so." Angel replied.  
"Anyone else feel incredibly dizzy?" Buffy asked.  
"Yes." Faith replied.  
"Glad I'm not the only one." Angel added.  
They all lay there as the other's scrutinised them.  
"Are you all alright?" Giles asked.  
"Where did you go exactly?" Cordelia wondered.  
"What happened?" Willow pressed.  
"Hey! No scars." Buffy smiled, looking at her arms. "Ok, who put me in the funky night gown."  
"You should have seen the plaits." Xander laughed.  
"I took them out for you." Willow added.  
Angel slowly stood up, before holding a hand out to Buffy. She pulled herself up. He then held it out to Faith.  
  
The front door opened and voices echoed in the hallway.  
Dawn stood in the doorway, "Oh my god!" she squealed, before hurtling herself at Buffy. "You came back!"  
She hugged Buffy to her as hard as she could, "Need air." Buffy gasped.  
"Sorry! And Angel!" Dawn then grabbed Angel in a bone-crunching grip. She then gave Faith a quick hug. Faith grinned. *Maybe they have forgiven me* she wondered hopefully.  
They all took it in turns to hug each other, saying their 'welcome back's.'  
Buffy stifled a yawn.  
"We didn't get much sleep last night." Angel said.  
"Yes of course, why don't you all have a rest now." Giles suggested.  
The three went up the stairs.  
"Faith, do you want to go into the spare room. It's just though there." Buffy said pointing towards the far door.  
"Thanks, goodnight." Faith smiled and left Buffy and Angel in the hall.  
"Hello stranger." Buffy said.  
"Hello." Angel smiled.  
"You wanna sleep in my room?" Buffy asked, "I mean just sleep. Nothing else. Cause that would be bad. Nasty consequences and all..."  
"That would be nice." He said, interrupting her babbling. She was so cute, he thought with a secret smile. They went into her bedroom. Not much has changed, he noticed, although it now looked more like a young adults room now than a teenage girls.  
Buffy lay down on the bed, Angel next to her after he took his shoes off. He pulled her into his arms. "Goodnight. I love you." He whispered to his already sleeping angel.  
They still had the same problems they always had. But he was going to try his goddamn hardest to make things work out.  
  
Buffy was in Heaven again. She just had to be. She felt the same peace and contentment she had before, but something just wasn't right. She was standing in a large garden. A stream ran down the middle that ended in a small waterfall, down white rocks. A wooden bridge led over stream, into a part of the garden Buffy couldn't see from where she stood. She walked over it and when through an arch that led into a shelter part. Roses grew around the walls, and brightly coloured flowers were growing in the beds.   
In the middle of this garden was a water fountain which made a calm bubbling sound. Some parts of Heaven were like this, depending where Buffy had been. It suddenly struck her what was wrong.   
Angel wasn't there.   
He was always with her when she was in Heaven, that's what her reward had been for her years of pain and sacrifice, eternal happiness with the man, or vampire, she loved. Until Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya had decided to rip her out and thrust her into a place Buffy decided was pretty much like Hell. She spotted a bench on the other side of the garden and made her way to it. If this wasn't Heaven, then where the hell was she?  
She sat on the blue painted bench to figure it out. She closed her eyes in concentration. Suddenly she felt a presence next to her and she quickly opened her eyes.  
"Hello Buffy." Jenny Calendar said.  
"Hi." She replied rather breathlessly.  
Jenny smiled at Buffy's obvious shock. "Don't be scared or whatever, I'm here to give you a message from the Powers that Be."   
Buffy nodded, "It's nice to see you again." she said and at once wished she hadn't.  
"But first I've got one from myself, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied to you and I'm sorry I didn't tell you what would happen if Angel reached perfect happiness."  
Buffy sighed, "It's me who should be sorry. I'm sorry I didn't kill him in time and I'm sorry I was a bitch to you."  
Jenny shook her head, "You weren't a bitch. I disserved everything I got."  
"No, you didn't...." Buffy trailed off. The two woman shared a look before they burst into laughter.  
"Ok, so we're both sorry." Buffy clarified.  
"Right, now the message." Jenny announced, "They gave me a long winded passage to recite to you, about sacrifice yadda, yadda. But let's skip the verbal and get straight to the point. As a reward, you and Angel can get as happy as you want with no repercussions, for as long as you two are together. Which better be forever the amount you two have winged about it." She grinned and winked, "Have a nice time."   
"Buffy, honey wake up." a different voice called.   
"I think that's your cue." Jenny said.  
  
Angel had just had the strangest dream. Jenny Calendar of all people had just given him the best news he had ever heard after the fact Buffy was alive again.  
Buffy had a huge grin on her face, so he assumed she was dreaming pretty much the same thing.   
"Buffy." he moaned again, giving her a shake.   
She opened her eyes.  
"I just have the strangest but best dream ever." She informed him.  
"I know. So, you busy?" he asked .  
"I think I have a free space in my diary." she told him, before there lips met in a sweet kiss.  
"We better have a lock fitted." Buffy muttered.  
"Later." Angel groaned, kissing her again.  
*Maybe this wasn't Hell after all.* Buffy thought, before getting down to the business of filling that diary space. 


End file.
